Improvement in animal-traps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THADDEUs BELKNAP, 0E AUSTINBURG, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENIT IN ANIM'AL-TRAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. "186,448, dated January 23, 1877; application filed November 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THnDEus BELKNAP, of Austinburg, -in the county of Ashtabula and-State ot' Ohio, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Animal-Traps 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a sents a box or frame of the form shown, and

is secured to an open base', B. Within the frame Ais suitably hung, upon pivoted bars a b, two tilting platforms, U D, and to the base B, between it and the side of the box or frame, is pivoted at c a curved lever, E. rlhe cross-bar a, by which the platform C is pivoted to the box or frame, has a short horizontal arm, d, resting uponr that end of the lever below Vthe pivot c, and the cross-bar b of the tilting platform D has a vertical arm, c, upon the end of which rests the curved end of the lever E. A stop, f, is secured within and upon the side ofthe base, against which the end ot' the lever presses; also stops g are secured to the ends ot' the base, to prevent the platforms from tilting too far.

In describing the operation of my invention,

it will be first understood that the trap is baited back of the platform C, after which the trap is placed over a suitable receptacle containing water, a board being placed so as to extend from the platform D to the floor, upon the short horizontal arm d ofthe said platform is pressed down against the end ot' the lever bythe tilting of the same, which also raises and releases the curved end ot' the lever E from the vertical arm c, when both platforms are tilted, causing the animal to be precipitated into the receptacle containing water.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in an animal-trap, of two tilting platforms constructed and arranged` relatively to each other, substantially as described, so that when pressure or weight is applied to` the outer platform it will remain stationary, and both platforms become tilting when the pressure or weight is applied to the inner platform, as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I havehereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

THADDEUS BELKNAP.

Witnesses:

E. B. LEONARD, S. L. Room. 

